Hopefully the Land Speed Record will be broken again in both 2018 and 2019 by the Bloodhound SSC Project. The Car travelled under its own power for the first time in October 2017 in Cornwall - at around 200mph. In 2018, hopefully 800mph will be reached in South Africa, with the target of 1,000mph being attained in late 2019.

Team members include Andy Green and Richard Noble. They have both set LSRs - Andy set the current record with Thrust SSC on 15th October 1997 at a speed of 763.035 mph, whilst Richard set the previous record with Thrust 2 at 633.468 mph on 4th October 1983. The Bloodhound SSC Team hope to set a record in excess of 1,000 mph (Mach 1.4). What an achievement that would be! The following three photos of the Show Car were taken at The Imagineering Fair at the Country Festival at Stoneleigh on 30th August 2009. It was good to see it and to have an informative discussion with the people on the Stand. The "real" car is being built in 2013/14/15/16/17.

Thrust SSC

Coventry Transport Museum - 19th December 2008

Thrust 2

The final of the 63rd Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Lisbon on 12th May 2018. It will be the first time that Portugal has hosted the Competition.

July - December 2017: the UK will not hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The Host City for the 2024 Summer Olympics will be chosen in Peru on 13th September 2017. The two possible cities are:and Click the city names to look at the websites of the different Organising Committees. It is thought that the IOC will announce one of these cities will host the 2024 Olympics and the other in 2028 in September.

HM Queen Elizabeth II will have reigned for 66 years on 6th February 2018.

HRH Prince Charles became the longest serving Prince of Wales on
10th September 2017. He became
Prince of Wales on 26th July 1958, with his Investiture occuring on 1st
July 1969. When he does become King, he will be the oldest person at the
time of their Accession. Currently this record belongs to William IV who
was nearly 65 in 1830. Charles is already over 69.

Crossrail, in London, should be fully operational by 2018. We were told that it would be called "The Elizabeth Line" on 23rd February 2016.

HM the Queen and HRH Prince Philip will celebrate their 71st Wedding Anniversary on 20th November 2018.

Tokyo will host the Summer Olympics from 24th July until 9th August 2020. This was announced on 7th September 2013 at the 125th IOC Session in Argentina. The choice was between
Istanbul, Tokyo and Madrid.

The next General Election in the UK is likely to occur in June 2022.

The Finals of the 2022 Football World Cup will take place in Qatar from 21st November until 18th December. 32 teams will be involved.

Paris will host the Summer Olympics from 2nd to 18th August 2024. They were elected as host city on 13th September 2017.